Best Time to Visit Zion National Park

Pick a month. Best months are in bold.

The best months to visit Zion National Park are January, February and November — computed from official NPS visitation (2021–2025 average), NOAA weather normals and daylight. June is the crowd peak (601,680 monthly visits); January is quietest at 23% of peak.

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Best months for fewer crowds

The quietest months at Zion, leaving out harsh weather and months when main access is typically closed.

Monthly crowd curve

Average monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (NPS Visitor Use Statistics). Amber bar = current month.

Zion month by month

Crowds: NPS Visitor Use Statistics, mean of 2021–2025 (2020 excluded as a COVID-19 anomaly). Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals, station ZION NP, UT US (1 mi from park coordinates). Daylight: computed for the 15th of each month at the park's location. Methodology.

How many people visit Zion each year

Zion National Park had 4,984,525 recreation visits in 2025, 1% more than 2024 (NPS Visitor Use Statistics). The busiest year since 2015 was 2021, with 5,039,835. Over 2021–2025 it averaged 4,857,322 visits a year, which makes it the 2nd most-visited of the 63 national parks.

Calendar-year recreation visits as published by NPS Visitor Use Statistics. 2020 is shown here but left out of the monthly averages above, because the COVID-19 pandemic makes it unrepresentative. See how every park compares: all 63 parks ranked by visits.

What to pack for Zion in January

Computed from January's weather normals — Zion's best month above. Visiting another month? Each month page has its own weather-computed list.

• Insulated jacket, beanie and gloves — nights average 30°F, below freezing
• Headlamp — only 9.9 hours of daylight in mid-January (compare other options)
• Sturdy broken-in footwear, navigation and a basic first-aid kit — every park, every month

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Common questions

Zion month by month: notes from the park service

• January: January sits inside Zion's non-shuttle season, which the park service says usually runs December through February, so you can normally drive your own car up the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. The trade-off is parking: the park's own lots often fill early in the day, and when they do, the easy fallback is paid parking in Springdale plus the free Springdale Line shuttle into the park.
• February: February is usually one of the few months you can drive your own car up Zion Canyon. The park service says private vehicles are allowed on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive only in the non-shuttle season, usually December through February, while daily shuttle service runs from March through November.
• March: March is when Zion's daily shuttle season starts again; the park service runs it daily from March through November, and during shuttle season personal vehicles are not allowed on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive (Zion Lodge and Canyon Trail Rides guests with reservations are the exception). Plan to ride the shuttle up the canyon, arrive early because the park's own lots fill, or leave the car in Springdale and take the free Springdale Line in.
• April: April sits inside Zion's shuttle season, which runs every day from March through November. That means no private cars on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive: the first Zion Canyon Line bus leaves the Zion Canyon Visitor Center (stop 1), and you ride it up the canyon.
• May: Coming to Zion in May? Expect to use the shuttle.
• June: June at Zion is inside the daily shuttle season, which the park service runs from March through November. While the shuttle operates you cannot drive your own car up the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, so you ride in from the visitor center.
• July: In July, the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive belongs to the shuttle: from March through November private cars are not allowed on it, and the park service shuttle is how you reach the trailheads up the canyon. The park service says its parking lots often fill early in the day, so plan to arrive early or to park in Springdale and use the free Springdale Line, which brings you to the pedestrian entrance.
• August: In August the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive is shuttle-only, as it is daily from March through November; cars are not allowed on it while the buses run. Start at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, where the first shuttle leaves, or skip the park lots entirely, which often fill early in the day, by parking in Springdale and taking the free town shuttle to the walk-in entrance at Zion Canyon Village.
• September: September is still Zion's shuttle season (daily, March through November), so the scenic drive up Zion Canyon is reached by park bus, not by car. The park service says its lots tend to fill early in the day; the free Springdale Line, with nine stops in town including the pedestrian entrance, is the usual way around that.
• October: October is still Zion's shuttle season, which the park service runs daily from March through November, so private cars stay off the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive; the Zion Canyon Line starts at the visitor center. Park lots often fill early in the day, the park says, and paid parking in Springdale plus the free Springdale Line, which stops at the pedestrian and bike entrance, is the alternative.
• November: November is the last month of Zion's daily shuttle season, which the park service runs from March through November. While the shuttle runs, you cannot drive your own car up the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive; you ride the shuttle in, and the park's lots often fill early, so many visitors park in Springdale and take the free Springdale Line.
• December: December is a mixed month for driving Zion Canyon. The park service lists no shuttle service from November 29 to December 25, when private cars can use the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive, and then holiday shuttles from December 26, when only shuttle riders (and Zion Lodge guests with reservations) can go up the canyon.

Each month page carries the full note and the NPS page it comes from.

Dive into a month

Comparing parks for the same trip? See how Zion ranks against all 63 parks in January, February and November.

Last verified 2026-09-24 · all parks